Toll charges to rise on most motorways, bridges and tunnels

Toll charges on eight of the State’s 11 tolled motorways, bridges and tunnels are set to rise in January.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said it would be the first increase for private car users since 2013 and came at a time of high inflation.

Toll rates for cars vehicles are to rise by 10 cent across most public private partnership (PPP) toll roads, the exception being the M3 in Co Meath. They will increase from €2.90 to €3 on the M4 and from €1.90 to €2 on the M1, N6, M7/M8, N8, N25 Waterford Bridge and Limerick Tunnel.

Tolls on the M50 will not increase for users of toll tags, but will rise by 10 cent for video account registered vehicles (to €2.70) and vehicles without toll tags or video accounts (to €3.20).

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TII said tolls for the Dublin Tunnel would remain at €10 in peak hours and €3 at all other times.

The increases amount to 10 cent per toll for commercial vehicles using the M1; two tolls on the M3; the M4; the N6; the M7/M8; the southern toll on the M8; the Limerick Tunnel; the N25 Waterford Bridge and the M50. The Dublin Tunnel remains free for lorries.

Independent TD for Wexford Verona Murphy, a former president of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), said the increased toll charges would “drive up the cost of haulage and the outlay of hauliers.

“The result will be that the consumer pays and it will be the lower income earners that will be hardest hit.” she said. “The Government needs to reduce its tax take on tolls and fuels to the haulier and they need to do it in a hurry, or the small operators will not survive.”

A number of protests by people working in the truck and haulage businesses over the high cost of fuel have taken place and caused traffic disruption in Dublin recently.

The Department of Transport said Ministers Eamon Ryan and Hildegarde Naughton had met the IRHA to discuss a range of issues including fuel prices, decarbonisation of the HGV sector and skills issues including the HGV driver shortage.

The ministers agreed to consider a proposal from the association to expand the relief available to hauliers under the Diesel Rebate Scheme, but with a link to the phasing out of older, more polluting vehicles and an overall reduction in emissions from the sector. Details of that proposal are to be submitted to the department for further consideration.